Mandarin Bar in Las Vegas

Update: Mandarin Oriental is now Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas

If you’re into perfect cocktails with a view, then there’s no better place in Vegas that the Mandarin Bar. In fact Mandarin Bar doesn’t really feel like Vegas, but more like those really swanky hotel bars you’ll find in cities like New York and Tokyo. The bar is on the 23rd floor in the 47 stories high hotel, so it’s not a rooftop bar, but the floor-to-ceiling windows make sure that you still have quite amazing views of The Strip.

Mandarin Bar can be a bit empty, especially late evenings on weekdays, so if you’re looking to socialize, the best time to go is in the after-work/after-dinner hours. On weekends the bar is busier, and the tables with a view are quickly gone. Even though there’s music (sometimes live), Mandarin Bar isn’t a place to get drunk and get wild. Instead, it’s probably the classiest spot on The Strip to sip state-of-the-art cocktails.

The times I’ve visited, service has been friendly, but not very fast. I guess these crafted cocktails just take a bit longer to make. The good thing is that you can always enjoy the view while waiting for the menu/drink/bill.
I don’t recall whether there’s an official dress code but you would definitely feel out of place if you show up in jeans and a tank top, because most people really dress up.

Mandarin Oriental is squeezed in between CityCenter and Monte Carlo, behind the arcade with Bobby’s Burger Palace and Pinkberry, so you don’t really notice the hotel from The Strip.

The lobby is on the same floor as Mandarin Bar, so you enter the hotel at the street level-entrance next to the valet parking and take the elevator up.

Cocktails are $16-$18 and beers start at $7. Along with your drink, you get a complimentary snack tray with some really good wasabi nuts.

> Read my other blog post about Mandarin Bar